Safety device or appliance for use with aeroplanes, airships, and other aircraft



. A. A. LEWIS AND F. 0. DUI-TON.-

SAFETY DEVICE 0R APPLIANCE FOR USE WITH AEROPLANES,AIRSHIPS, AND OTHER AIRCRAFT. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 12. I918.

1,339,828; Patented May 11,1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED AMOS LEWIS, OF MELBOURNE, AND FREDERICK 0. DUTTON, F NORT'HCOTE,

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

SAFETY DEVICE OR APPLIANCE FOR USE WITH AEROPLANES, AIRSHIPS, AND OTHER AIRCRAFT.

Specification 01. Letters Patent. Patented May 11, 1920.

Application filedOctober 12, 1918. Serial No 257,899.

' To all wi wm it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED AMos Lnwrs,

residing at 349 Collins street, Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, and Fnnonnreir OLIVER DU'rToN, residing at 29 Leonard street, Northcote, in theState of Victoria, aforesaid, both subjects of the King of Great Britain,have invented new. and useful Improvements in SafetyDevices or Appliances for Use with Aeroplanes, Airships, and other Aircraft, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device or appliance for use with all forms of aircraft, and it has been devised in order to provide efficient-means wherebyan aero-.

plane, dirigible balloon, airship or the like can in the event of accident orof stoppage be permitted to descend gradually wlthout damage to the machine or injury to the occupants thereof. r

An essential feature of the invention re-- sides in the provision of spring operated means whereby the device can be brought into operation immediately following an accident or other cause for descent and before any high velocity is attained. Means are also provided for the regulation of the speed of descent as may'be desired.

In addition to the use of the invention with aircraft for the purposes set out it may be employed with or applied to parachutes for the purpose of materially increasing the safety of such devices.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference will now be had to the accompanying explanatory drawings; wherein Figure 1 is a viewin vertical section of a safety device constructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspectiveillustrating an application to an aeroplane of the safety device shown in Fig. 1.

In these drawings the numeral 1 designates a pole or mast of suitable wood 01" with eyes 5 to which are attached strong cords or ropes 6 'which'connect said ribs 4 to a second band/I firmly attached to the lowervportion of said mast 1; This band 7 is likewiseprovidedwith lugs 8 to which the cords or ropes 6 are'attached.

. A strong textile covering for-min a hood or envelop 9 of canvas, silk or ot er preferred material of required strength is placed upon and over the ribs 4- andis secured thereto in an approved way.

A sleeve 10. is-slidably mounted on the mast l and this sleeve 10 is provided-with a series of circumferentially disposed lugs 11 to which are pivotally connected a plurality of stays or struts 12. These stays or struts 12 correspond in number to said ribs 4 and each of said stays or struts is pivotally attached as. at 13 to one of said ribs at or about the middle. point thereof.

The sleeve 10 is provided with a collar 14: or the like which, when the sleeve 10 is at its lowest position, engages'with'catches 15 formed on the ends of a pair of diametrically opposite levers 16 pivoted on a band 17 fixed to said pole or mast 1. v

Springs 18 are inserted between the lovers 16 and the band 17 and the lower ends of said levers 16 are shaped to form operative handles 19. A plurality of stron springs 20 are attached at their lower en s to lugs 21 or the like on said sleeve 10. These springs 20 are connected at the1r 01313051138 ends to similar lugs 22 on said band 2.

In practice the sleeve 10 is moved to its lowest position indicated by broken lines in 'Fig'.v 1, thereby tensioning said springs 20 and permitting the springs 18 to operate the levers 16 and effect engagement of the catches 15 with said collar 14."

alongside the central pole or mast 1, and

maintain the hood or envelop 9 in a collapsed state. 7

In the event of accident or stoppa e when it is required to operate the device, t e han dies 19 are simultaneously moved inwardly toward the pole or mast 1 so as to move the catches 15 out of engagement with the collar 14 and release said sleeve 10. The latter is opened by cords 24 or the likemore or less widely to control the speed of descent.

The device can be attached to the upperside or" an aeroplane or other air craft as shown in Fig.- 2,or it may be attached to an aviators seat which can be detached from the aircraft in the event of accident.

The invention can, moreover, be arranged and constructed as a parachute and can be provided with seating or other accommodation commonly furnished for a balloonist.

It will be understood that the device can be released and retained in its expanded position under normal traveling conditions, and in such expanded position it will act as a covering or cano'py which will be a protector against rain and other adverse cli inatic conditions.

The invention is of simple construction, and can be made of great strength, and in operation it will be found very ei ficient as a means for preventing damage to aircraft or injury to persons traveling therein in the event of accident or stoppage.

A pair of flattened springs 25 are fixed to .the mast 1 and the upper ends of these springs 25 are adapted to bear against the lower end of the sleeve 10, and prevent oscillatory movements of the latter when the hood sleeve 9 is in an expanded state. Shallow slots (not shown) are made in the side of the mast 1 into which the springs are forced when the sleeve 10 is moving upwardly or downwardly.

That we do claim is A safety device for aircraft comprising a mast, ribs pivotally secured to the upper end of said mast at one end and the opposite ends secured to the mast by cables, a sleeve slidable on the mast, struts pivotally connected to said sleeve at one end and at the opposite ends to the ribs, a spring coiled about the mast and confined between the connection of the ribs thereto and the sleeve and tensioned to normally urge the sleeve to position'to move the st'ruts'and ribs to open position, a covering for the ribs, latches pivotally carried by the mast adapted to cooperate with the sleeve to hold the same in position with the struts and ribs in collapsed position, openings in the covering for the ribs, and flap valves, operable to open and piloge said openings for the purpose speci- In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED AMOS LEl-VIS. FREDERECK 0. DUTTGN. Witnesses MARGARET v Rossrrnn, JAMES H. ANDERSON. 

